Apparatus for treating shoe soles



Jan. 15, 1952 E. F. SMALL 2,582,464

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHOE SOLES Filed March 22, 1950 Patented Jan. 15,1952 APPARATUS' FOR TREATING SHOE SOLES Edward F. Small, Newton, Mass.,assignor to Compo Shoe Machinery Corporation, Boston, Mass., a.corporation of Delaware Application March 22, 1950, Serial No. 151,242

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for use in the manufacture offootwear and more particularly to an apparatus for heat-activatingthermo-plastic cement applied to shoe soles to facilitate the attachmentthereof to shoe bottoms.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple yet eectiveapparatus, which may be attached to or placed near a sole attachingmachine, for heat-activating a coating of thermoplastic cement on shoesoles in a manner which allows the cement on the soles to be sub- Jectedto a relatively high temperature to rapidly activate the cement and thenallows the soles to be subjected to a lower temperature to keep thecement thereon in an activated condition until they are actually removedfrom the apparatus for attachment to shoe bottoms.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus, having anelectric heater for heatactivating cement on shoe soles, with solesupports which are adapted to move in a straight line from a loadingposition removed from the heater to an activating position closelyadjacent the heater.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus, having anelectric heater for heatactivating cement on shoe soles, with a simple,yet convenient and effective timing device which, in conjunction withsuitable sole supports, allows soles to be subjected to the relativelyhigh temperature of the heater for a definite period of time to rapidlyactivate the cement upon the soles and which will thereafterautomatically position the soles a distance away from the heater wherethe temperature is sufficient to maintain the cement upon the soles inan activated condition without burning the soles or destroying theadhesive qualities of the cement.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement ol parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature, features, and objects of theinvention reference should be had tothe following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the apparatus embodying features of myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus of thisinvention; and

(Cl. 21S-19) Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view taken substantiallyalong lines I-I of Fig. 1,

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a base or framecasting In from which extends side walls II supporting a chamber I2having an opening I3 in its front side wall which provides access to theinterior of the chamber.

An electric heating element I4 of grid like shape is secured by thescrews I5 to bosses I6 depending from the top of the chamber I2 so thatthe element radiates heat downwardly. The terminals I'I of the heatingelement are adapted to be wired to any available electric supply source.

The sole supports I8 and I9, which may be in the form of a solidcasting, perforated metal or wire screen, are secured to the rods 20 and2I `which are slidably guided by the bores in bosses 22 and 23 formedintegral with the base casting I0 and the chamber I2, Thus, it canreadily be seen that the sole supports can be moved in a straight linetowards and away from the heating clement I4.

A lug 24 extending from the base casting I0 is provided with a T slotinto which the block 25 is slidably tted and the screw 26 threaded intothe block is provided with a portion 21 of reduced diameter which isjournalled in the base casting I0. The knob 28 is secured to suchportion 21 in a manner which allows the screw to be rotated and theheight of the block 25 to be varied.

The horizontally extending boss 29 on the block 25 has a bore into whichis pressed the shaft 30 so that it extends equally from each end of theboss. The lever 3| is pivotally mounted upon one end of the shaft and asimilar lever 32 is pivotally mounted upon the other end of the shaft,the collars 33 and 34 serving to maintain the levers in axial positionupon the shaft.

The slots 35 and 36 in the respective levers 3| and 32 t over the pins31 and 38 which extend from the rods 20 and 2I and when the levers arelifted by the handles 39 formed thereon the rods and the sole supportsare elevated.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, mechanism is provided for maintainingthe sole supports I8 and I9 in a position near the heater I4 for adefinite period of time once they have been elevated by means of thehandles 39 on the levers 3i and 32. rThis mechanism comprises a shaft4i] which is journalled in the brackets 4I and 42 which extend from thebase casting I0. A pulley 63 is secured to one end of the shaft and isadapted to be belted to a motor1 (not shown) so that the shaft isconstantly rotated. The friction discs 44 and l5 are slidably mountedupon the shaft and are rotatable with the shaft by their drivingconnection with the key i6 secured to the shaft. The cam discs 4l and 48are rotatably mounted upon the shaft while the friction discs 4S and 5eare secured to the shaft by set screws 5l and 52. The spring 53surrounding the hubs of discs lift and serves to press the discs intoengagement with the side faces of the cam discs so that the cams arerotated by virtue of their frictional engagement with the positivelyrotated friction discs.

The cam discs @l and t8 have depressions 54 and 55 formed in theirperipheral surfaces and these depressions are adapted to engage therolls 56 and 51 on the arms 58 and 52 which are pivoted at 6G to thelevers 3l and 32.

The arms 52 and 59 are biased by springs 5I and G2 against stops (53 andBti formed on the levers 3l and 22. Stops t5 and E6 serve to limitmovement of the arms when the rolls carried by the arms engage the camdepressions.

As viewed in Fig. 2, the shaft Il@ is rotated in a clockwise directionand in normal operation of the apparatus described a sole S entered intothe chamber l2 via the opening i3 and is placed upon a sole support itand the operator lifts the lever 32 by its handle 3Q thus moving thesole support and the sole thereon to a position near the heater i4 (solesupport it is shown in this elevated position). When the lever 32 islifted high enough for the cam roll 5E to clear the cam depression 54the arm 558 is pulled by the spring 62 against the stop E4 which allowsthe cam roll to rest upon the periphery of the cam disc 38. The cam nowrotates due to its frictional engagement with the friction discs il and53 thus keeping the lever 32 and the sole support IS in an elevatedposition until the cam disc has rotated one revolution whereupon the camroll rides into the depression 54 and allows the sole support to belowered. As the cam r-oll is contacted by the straight face of the camdepression the arm 58 is moved against the stop B55 and the cam disc isprevented from rotation until the lever is again lifted by the operator.

Each sole support is operated alternately in the manner above describedto position a sole placed thereon in definite position near the heaterfor a definite period of time and then lowered to a position away fromthe heatei` where the temperature is sufficient to keep the cement uponthe sole in an activated condition until it is removed for attachment toa shoe bottom.

To compensate for great variance in the thickness of shoe soles; e. g.,when platform soles are used. the position of the sole supports withrespect to the heater I4 may be adjusted by merely turning the knob 2f:to raise or lower the block 25 and consequently the sole supports.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction anddifferent embodiments of the invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof, it intended that all matter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of 'the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the inventicn which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. Apparatus for heat activating thermoplastic cement on shoe solescomprising a chamber, an electric heater Within said chamber, saidheater being arranged to radiate heat downwardly, a moveable solesupport located within said chambei' below said heater, manuallyoperated means for moving said support towards said heater, and meansincluding a power operated cam for maintaining said support in aposition near said heater for a definite period of time and forthereafter allowing return of said support to a position located a fixeddistance away from said heater.

2. Apparatus for heat activating thermoplastic cement on shoe solescomprising a frame, a chamber supported by said frame, an electricheater located within said chamber, said heater being arranged toradiate heat downwardly, a moveable solo support located within saidchamber below said heater, means guiding said sole support for straightline motion towards and away from said heater, a rotatable cam, meansfor rotating said cam, means dependent upon movement of said solesupport towards said heater to allow said rotating means to becomeoperative, and means including said cam for maintaining said solesupport in a position neal said heater for a definite period of time,for allowing said sole support to move away from said heater after lapseof said definite period of time and for making said rotating meansinoperative.

3. Apparatus for heat activating thermoplastic cement on shoe solescomprising a frame, a chamber supported by said frame, an electricheater located within said chamber, said heater being arranged toradiate heat downwardly, a moveable sole support located within saidchamber below said heater, means guiding said sole support for straightline motion towards and away from said heater, a lever, means pivotingsaid lever to said frame, connections between said lever and said solesupport whereby movement of said lever moves said sole support, arotatable cam, frictional means for rotating said cam, a depression inthe periphery of said cam, an arm pivoted upon said lever, a camfollower mounted upon said arm, a handle associated with said solesupport for moving it to a position near said heater, and meansdependent upon lifting of said sole support for allowing said arm tomove said cam follower out of said depression to allow said cam torotate and to maintain said sole support in the position near saidheater until said cam follower rides into said depression to lower saidsole support and to arrest rotation of said cam.

EDNARD F. SMALL.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 720,024 Hammond Feb. 10, 19031,124,566 Wescott Jan. 12, 1915 1,824,310 Thompson Sept. 22, 19311,59,935 Shroyer May 22, 1934 2,290,356 Reinhold July 21, 1942

